These heightened public health measures follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency due to the rapid increase in Mpox cases in the affected geographical areas within East and Central Africa, it added.
The Mpox virus was first discovered in 1958, and the first human case was reported in Africa in 1970.
Mpox is a viral disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. It is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, animal, or material contaminated with the virus, and it causes fever, rashes, flu-like symptoms, and lesions. Most cases are mild, but they can be severe in children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems.